Tuesday, June 6, 2017

"I was speaking to a high school class a few weeks ago and one of the
students asked me what we are going to do about a divided America.

"I said I rejected the premise. America isn’t divided. When people wake
up at three o’clock in the morning, often in a cold sweat, they are
never thinking about life through the lens of being a Democrat or a
Republican. The vast majority of folks are thinking about their personal
health, the health of their children,
the health of their parents, can they get a job, can they keep a job,
can they pay the bills by the end of the month, can they retire with
dignity?

"The point is that
the vast majority of people have so much more in common than what
separates us.

The way we come out of this political nightmare is to
reject the false premise that we are a divided country.

"And that
means we have to acknowledge what unites us: the universal truths and
the universal values that define us. It means we have to listen to one
another. It’s why, for example, about once a month I’ve been asking
supporters like you to take our issues survey—it’s because I want to
know how you’re feeling right now. Not through the lens of partisan
politics, but through your eyes, your hopes, and your fears.

"The
problem with Washington is that too many people have accepted the false
premise that there are core party issues, not issues that are important
to those we are supposed to protect and empower.

"I’m a realist,
but I’m also an optimist. I believe we can listen and push past the
cliche in Washington to get things done that will help people.

"That means we have to be ready to both listen to one another and to
fight for the values and the concerns that keep all of us up at night."

With
awareness, there is space—allowing us to interrupt habitual response
patterns and bring intention to our responses, choosing to form a
different association. In time, we can begin to carve a new path into
the riverbank.